Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said on Monday that the federal government would not base its foreign policy on the New Democratic Party’s motion to formally recognize a Palestinian state.
The minister’s comments were made Monday afternoon during a debate in the House of Commons, hours before a vote on a no-day motion brought forward by the NDP’s foreign affairs critic.
The non-binding motion calls on the Canadian government to take a number of actions in response to the war in the Gaza Strip, including “officially” recognizing a “Palestinian state.”
“Of course there are problems with the motion that the NDP brought forward, and you can’t change foreign policy based on an opposition motion,” Jolly said in response to a question from Conservative MP Michael Chong.
Following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, Israel launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip. The raid killed about 1,200 civilians in Israel and took hundreds of hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli figures.
As of last week, Gaza health officials said more than 31,000 people had been killed and nearly 2 million more displaced by Israeli military operations.
Jolly said the NDP motion is important but “not without its flaws,” adding that Canada is working to ensure the release of hostages held by Hamas, a humanitarian ceasefire and a way for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza. He said he hoped for an agreement.
She did not elaborate on the “deficiencies” and “problems” she sees in the NDP motion.
Mr Chong said the Conservative Party was in favor of a two-state solution, but that it could not be achieved through a “unilateral declaration in the House of Commons”.
“That can only be achieved through long and difficult negotiations that will take months, if not years, between the two parties at hand, the State of Israel and the representatives of the Palestinian people,” he said. They added: We need to gain the support of the people and renounce violence and terrorism.
A vote on the non-binding motion is expected to take place around 7:30 p.m. ET.
